1. Technical Field
The subject invention relates to a vehicle seat and more particularly to a vehicle seat of the fold and tumble type.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fold and tumble vehicle seats are well known. Basically, seats of this type include a seat riser which is constructed and arranged to engage forward and rearward floor anchors in a vehicle. The seat riser serves to support a seat cushion which in turn supports a foldable seat back. The advantage of a fold and tumble seats are that when the seat back is folded into a forward storage position overlying the seat cushion and the seat riser is released from the rear floor anchors and pivoted or tumbled forwardly about the forward floor anchors, the entire seat can be move into a storage position allowing the vehicle floor from which the seat has been turned to be used for other activities. In addition, on many of the fold and tumble vehicle seats, the seat riser can be released from the forward floor anchors such that the entire seat can be removed from the vehicle. Typically, a fold and tumble seat would be a rear seat in a van, sport utility vehicle or the like. Examples of fold and tumble seats, which may or may not be removable, are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,700,989; 5,280,987; 5,282,662, 5,364,152; 5,671,965, and 5,743,596; and German Patent No. 195 44 833.
It is sometimes desirable that a fold and tumble seat be capable of fore and aft adjustment within the vehicle. Such fore and aft adjustment is usually provided by conventional fore and aft seat tracks which allow the seat to be moved forwardly from a rearwardly operative position into a multiplicity of forward operative positions. One problem that is presented by an adjustment of this type for a fold and tumble seat is that when the seat is disposed in a forward operative position and it becomes desirable to move the seat into its storage position, it is first necessary to move the seat cushion into its rearward operative position before effecting the fold and tumble movement of the seat into its storage position. The initial rearward movement of the seat cushion into its rearward operative position is desirable in order to prevent the forward portion of the folded seat back from engaging the floor and preventing the seat from reaching its fill storage position. There exist a need to simplify the fold and tumble procedure for fold and tumble seats to alleviate the above problem.
A fold and tumble vehicle seat assembly having an automatic retraction feature and an easy operation latch feature. The seat assembly comprises a seat cushion and a seat back mounted to the seat cushion. A seat riser, having forward and rearward ends, is mounted to the seat cushion for supporting the seat assembly in an operative position. An adjustment mechanism is mounted between the seat cushion and the seat riser for providing selected fore and aft adjustment of the seat cushion. A locking device is disposed on the adjustment mechanism for selectively locking the adjustment mechanism and the seat cushion to the seat riser. At least one rear seat support is mounted to the rearward end of the seat riser for supporting a rear portion of the seat assembly while the seat assembly is in the operative position. Similarly, at least one front seat support is pivotally mounted to the forward end of the seat riser for supporting a front portion of the seat assembly while the seat assembly is in the operative position and for moving the seat assembly to a tumbled position with the seat cushion pivoting upward about the front seat supports. The seat assembly is characterized by a release mechanism mounted adjacent the adjustment mechanism and selectively engaging the locking device for automatically unlocking the adjustment mechanism and moving the seat cushion toward the aft position during the tumbling of the seat assembly.
The seat assembly also comprises a rear latch pivotally mounted to the rear seat support and moveable between an engaged position securing the seat assembly in the operative position and a disengaged position allowing the seat assembly to move into the tumbled position. The seat assembly is further characterized by a stop member pivotally mounted to the rear seat support and engaging the rear latch when the rear latch is in the disengaged position to hold the rear latch in the disengaged position.
An object of the present invention is to fulfill the need expressed above. Preferably, the release mechanism is constructed and arranged to move the seat cushion into the rearward operative position thereof during and in response to the movement of the seat riser from the operative position thereof to the storage position thereof.
Preferably, the fore and aft adjustment mechanism includes cooperating lockable tracks mounted on the seat riser and the seat cushion respectively which are constructed and arranged to move relatively fore and aft with respect to one another. A locking device is constructed and arranged to be moveable between a locking position preventing relative movement between the cooperating tracks and a releasing position enabling relative movement between the cooperating tracks. The release mechanism is constructed and arranged to move the locking device from the locking position thereof into the releasing position thereof during the forward tumbling movement of the seat riser from the operative position thereof prior to the movement of the seat cushion from its forward operative position into the rearward operative position thereof.
Preferably, the release mechanism is constructed and arranged to allow the locking device to be returned into the locking position thereof in response to the movement of the seat riser back into the operative position thereof and the movement of the seat back into the operative position thereof.
Preferably, the seat riser includes a spring system constructed and arrange to aid in effecting the forward tumbling movement of the seat riser into the storage position thereof, which tumbling movement by the operation of the release mechanism is responsive to effect the rearward movement of the seat cushion into the rearward position thereof. Optionally, a gas strut can be provided having sufficient springing force to effect the tumbling movement of the seat riser into the storage position thereof without manual assistance irrespective of how far rearward the seat cushion must be moved by the release mechanism in response to the tumbling movement to reach the rearward position thereof.